Renew IT and UNSW partner for world-first facility to turn e-waste into 3d printing material

A world-first recycling facility designed by UNSW Sydney researchers has opened in Sydney, offering a new solution to Australia's growing electronic waste problem, to be used by recycler Renew IT.

The Plastics Filament MICROfactorie, developed by UNSW's Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT), transforms hard plastics from old printers and computers into valuable filament for 3D printing.

UNSW vice-chancellor, professor Attila Brungs officially opened the facility at electronic waste recycler Renew IT's headquarters in Lane Cove on Friday.

"This facility has already demonstrated significant economic, social and environmental benefits, so far keeping 50.4 tonnes of plastic waste out of landfill and incinerators," Brungs said.

The innovative technology addresses a critical issue in Australia, where each person produces an average of 20 kg of e-waste annually—nearly three times the global average of 7 kg.

James Lancaster, chief executive officer of Renew IT, described the technology as a game-changer for handling complex e-waste items.

"Electronic goods are a growing waste problem and even though there have been some recent bans on allowing e-waste to go to landfill, that is where it often ends up," Lancaster said.

"For us, the hard ABS (Acrylonitriled Butadiene Styrene) plastics found in so many e-waste items don't have a market, so this technology is game changer in addressing that problem," Lancaster added.

ABS is a strong, common thermoplastic polymer that is used in 3D printing filaments and electronics casing.

The facility will produce 3D printer filament locally from recycled plastics, reducing dependence on imported filament made from petrochemicals.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, founder and director of the UNSW SMaRT Centre, emphasised the economic and environmental benefits of the technology.

"ABS hard plastics are currently recycled as pellets for remanufacturing, but this is very low value and energy intensive, selling at around $2 per kilo, so not a lot of it occurs compared to the amount of this plastic available," Sahajwalla said.

"Whereas 3D printer filament sells for a lot more and so this solution is a high value solution delivering real circular economy benefits," Sahajwalla added.

The Plastics MICROfactorie module is part of a series of technologies being commercialised by the UNSW SMaRT Centre, with other modules operating in regional NSW.

Australia's e-waste generation is projected to rise nearly 30 per cent by 2030 to 657,000 tonnes, making sustainable solutions increasingly urgent.